Frozen Encounters
by starbuckfaerie21
Summary: Set somewhere after 02x10: "Wishbones." Joel finds a distraught Alex in the morgue after her brother Luke's death.


Frozen Encounters

 **Disclaimer:** Sadly, I own neither _Saving Hope_ nor Daniel Gillies

 **Pairing:** Joel & Alex (or vice versa if you prefer)

 **Rating: T**

 **Summary:** Set somewhere after 02x10: "Wishbones." Joel finds a distraught Alex in the morgue after her brother Luke's death.

Joel Goran was on his way down to the morgue to harvest bones. When he opened the doors he saw Alex Reid standing alone beside the open freezer slot that held her brother Luke's body.

 _Her brother Luke's dead body._

She was still dressed in a pair of jeans, a blouse and a clear sign that she wasn't on shift yet.

 _She looks exhausted._

 _When is the last time she slept?_

 _Where was Charlie?_

 _She shouldn't be alone right now._

 _I'm sorry I couldn't save him for you._

Joel pushed back the memory of trying to resuscitate Luke after he fell from the building.

He'd never forget the way she'd burst into the O.R. frantically shouting commands through her tears.

"Alex get outta here!" He'd shouted back at her.

 _But she didn't move._

 _Because all she could see was her baby brother on that table._

She'd stood there crying silently watching Joel's every move.

And that hurt him almost as much as the fact that he couldn't save Luke who'd he'd known for as long as he'd known Alex.

Luke, who'd he'd been laughing with and congratulating on his sobriety just a few days before.

"Well, if it isn't _Crocodile Dundee_?"

"He was Australian. Not a kiwi."

Her arms were wrapped loosely around his neck, and her lips were pressed to his frozen forehead.

Within a few seconds, Alex was slamming the freezer drawer shut over and over with an audible metallic bang repeatedly slamming her fist against its surface.

Joel took a step forward almost afraid to disturb her grief.

But when the noise that sounded like a cross between a scream and the cry of a dying animal burst from her throat, he couldn't _not_ go to her.

He stepped further into the room and stood behind her, his arms wrapping around her waist as if they belonged there.

"Alex, love," The term of endearment came out of his mouth automatically, without thinking. "I'm so sorry." He whispered, his breath brushing against her neck and moving through her long dark hair like a breeze.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't get him back for you, Reid."

He felt her shake her head against his collarbone, "No, Joel. Thank you…Thank you for trying to save him."

 _It couldn't have been me._

 _I'm glad it was you._

He just nodded because there was nothing that he could possibly say that could assuage her grief or ease her pain.

"I was supposed to keep him safe. I was supposed to protect him. If he had answered I would've yelled at him about the pills that I found… If he would've answered maybe he wouldn't gone up there…"

 _If he would've answered the phone, I could've said goodbye._

"Alex, you couldn't have known what was going to happen." Joel said softly.

She turned towards him her fists pounding on his chest, "He's my brother. He's _my_ responsibility, Joel!" She shouted, tears in her eyes and rolling down her cheeks.

Joel shook his head, putting both hands on her shoulders, "You couldn't have protected him from this. It wasn't your fault. Do you hear me, Alex Reid?"

After a moment, she nodded and smudged away her tears. "I should get to work." She said, moving away from him.

He nodded, and watched as she took a deep breath and walked toward the door. "Yeah. Okay…I'm here if you need to talk…Or get a drink…Or something…"

 _Whatever you need_

 _Anything you need_

 _Everything you need_

This time she was the one who nodded

She was about to leave but turned back a moment later, "Hey, Joel…?"

He met her gaze, "Yeah?"

"Thank you," She said softly.

He flashed her one of his trademark Joel Goran grins and asked, "For what?"

"For being here," She answered with a smile just before she turned and walked away leaving him alone in the morgue.


End file.
